NYC Subway would have done just fine without this ad


Despite controversy, I'm not worrying about the inner life of NYC subway riders. Xenophobia doesn't fly when more than a third of people have been born abroad, as a permanent fact of life, from 18th century onwards or so.

I ride the L, 1 and A trains 1-2 hours a day, and I've never been in such a cozy metro environment. New Yorkers spend a lot of time in the trains (1m+ every day), and they have a nice casual way about it. There not always much talk, but it never feels lonely. People-watching is a nice: average car of average train, there's incredible human variation, with every form and shape of homo sapiens wearing every style imaginable. Endless diversity of nice girls, too. And many of the artists are simply great. Its a rare I come home not having handed a dollar or two for performers really worth it.

(Another example, Subway Theatre:)
http://www.nyc.subwaytheater.com/documentation/irt.html

today is the first day that its colder outside than in Butler Library, Columbia University, where I spend my days with the MacBook youth. (They ALL have it.)

today I learned that when bicycling after dark, going straight down Broadway all through Times Square is not a handy shortcut, but a crazy futuristic acid trip that could end up badly, for both you and the naked cowboy / batman / break-dancing statue of liberty.

What a city to bike in! It's difficult to do it safely when eyes automatically tend to go up the unbelievable, wild, amazing skyskrapers straight out of Blade Runner. At the same time, NY cabs are a force to be taken seriously. One thing I's still struggling to understand is why bikers seem to be driving on both left AND right sides of the road. But the exploration goes on, with my faithful horse, a beutiful old Renauld racer (that cost me laughable 200 $!).

today I want to write a thank you letter to Little Skips, a café two blocks down Myrtle avenue where I live. You can see LS (or one wall of it) and a bit of my street in the first 30 secs of this otherwise crappy music video:

In days of hangover, laundry or when I don't feel like riding the metro to Manhattan, Little Skips is my home, living room and office. A big plus about this: EVERY time I go, they play some great music there I haven't heard before. I always have to ask them about it.

Example # 1: local Brooklyn band Diiv (which Tomas also likes):

Example # 2: Tame Impala. Ok, it's only news to me (so says Mikko). But what a riff!

I think Tuomas would like it too, since Swervedriver is regularly on the playlist. As is J&M Chain, Mazzy Star and the rest, right when my worn out brain needs them, to go with the 2nd fillup cup of coffee.
So, thank you Little Skips and see you soon again.

may this destroyed Total recall-poster be my first entry, since it reminds me of the nerve-wrecking jetlagged day and a half before finding a room of my own in Bushwick, Brooklyn - my dear new home for 6 months. 

That relief was yet to come. I stood on Bedford metro platform, feeling sleep deprived, lonely and doomed in my flathunting efforts, when I noticed a string of ads on the wall, improved by an unknown artist/vandal.

Somehow all this happy meticulous anarchism cheered me up and made me feel a little less desperate. (I took these pics with my old Nokia the unsmart phone so maybe the feeling does not quite come through.)

This dance school ad was the only one that had not been turned into a multi-layer collage, probably since it was just so... FaNtastic!

It was also the last pic I took before the L-train arrived. I rode it to Decalb - and got a room!